Child’s Pose is a primary pose in yoga, providing a stretch for the hips, ankles and thighs. When coupled with a lat (Latissumus Dorsi) stretch, it becomes a powerhouse stretch for any athlete looking to improve their performance.

The calves and ankles are an often overlooked area when warming up for your training session. They are neglected and traded for the popular hamstrings and hips, but this is a critical mistake that can hold back your athletic performance. Mobile and flexible feet, calves and ankles serve as the base for bottom position stability in your Clean, Snatch and Squat.

Sandra was there during my first competition, which happened to be held at California Strength. She was in my same weight class and I thought she was absolutely crazy. Mad woman. Bonkers. A Coo Coo bird. She was screaming and talking to herself, slapping her own legs. Christ, just let me lift and get away from this lady. Later I learned that the 49 year-old mom of four really is equal parts crazy and awesome...

One of the most common complaints I get from athletes and their coaches is a lack of shoulder mobility, most especially front rack and overhead position. This stretch is great for opening and increasing flexibility for both these movements.

In 2012, there were 3,332 registered female USA Weightlifting members compared to an astonishing 8,600 female members today. Now, why has there been so much growth in what has traditionally been such a “masculine” sport?

Here is the story of Jordan Weichers, a future star who's quiet and relentless determination will help to carve her name into the California Strength and USA Weightlifting history books in the years to come.

If this is your first weightlifting meet, I would not worry about making a weight cut. Instead, go into the competition feeling comfortable and ready to focus your energy on making all of your lifts. If you are planning a weight cut, make sure to bring plenty of fluids as well as a nutrient dense snack to replenish your body before the competition begins.

We have all probably seen it by now… a snatch missed behind or an unstable jerk that leads to the very scary hyperextended elbow. Why is this more commonly seen in female weightlifters? Well it turns out that females are more susceptible to this type of injury due to our specific anatomy.

Leg strength, leg strength, leg strength... and great shoulder mobility and terrific overall stability. These three things are required for anyone who looks to compete in Olympic weightlifting using the Squat Jerk technique. What the Squat Jerk may remove in technical complexity (compared to the more common Split Jerk), it more than makes up for in brute strength and physical requirements.

This year we had the amazing opportunity to send SIX stunning women to compete for and represent California Strength at the 2016 National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. The lineup included a number of individual medalists and one lady in Olympic Trial portion of the meet! We came together as a team that weekend and learned so much, bringing our friendship closer than ever before.

What do I have that the boys don’t besides great hair, good hygiene, awesome personality, brains, common sense... Eventually we thought to work with my hormones and, that’s right, MY PERIOD. After some research and some testing, we had success with timing my training progressions and deloads with my menstrual cycle.

During my preparation for the 2016 Open, we needed to increase strength while maintaining my metabolic capacity, and the solution was adding The Barbell WOD programming to my training arsenal. The Barbell WOD provided a spotlight focus on my Olympic weightlifting while still allowing me to recover enough to complete my daily Metcons. The strength that I gained as a result of the programming has had a huge impact on increasing my 1RM's in the Olympic lifts and building CrossFit-specific strength in barbell cycling.

I fell in love with the most impossible, monotonous, soul-destroying sport and I wasn’t going to give up. I sat down with Dave and discussed what we could do differently to get my heiny off the plateau and back to climbing the Mount Everest of kilos. With some research, we altered my program to accommodate the physiology of small women. After three months of testing, I finally PR’d and by a considerable amount. Just like that, I felt like I was back on track with the rest of the best 48’s in the nation...

Daily body maintenance with a focus on preventative care if key. Most overuse injuries are often the result of what were originally smaller aches and paints that manifest overtime into common weightlifting ailments (ex. Patelar Tendonitis, Shin Splints, Elbow Tendonitis).

When things are going according to plan, PR's are being hit and meets won, it is easier for the athlete to honor this trust. As the athlete advances in age and PR's become scarce due to advanced training age, this trust is often challenged and might require the coach to allow the athlete to be more involved in their training decisions. The partnership should shift towards that of a collaborative role between athlete and coach at this junction and may give a positive and welcomed sense of control back to the athlete...